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Chapter 95
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Beach, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Tourism and Authenticity
Power, Control, and Human Nature
War, Violence, and Escapism
Secrecy, Fear, and Paranoia
Summary
Analysis
Tet begins, and Richard and the other camp residents all drink an alcoholic beverage made from fermented coconut milk. During the festivities, Keaty tells Richard in private that he’s afraid of Sal watching him. Françoise, meanwhile, seems relaxed and is skilled at acting drunk. When Richard goes to talk with her, he finds that she might actually be drunk. She says it seems like Richard doesn’t love her anymore. When Richard accuses her of being drunk, she says she had to drink when they were passing coconuts around during football, in order to not appear suspicious. She says Étienne has probably had just as much to drink.
Françoise’s drunkenness at the festivities, which conflicts with their plan to stay sober, shows how Richard is discovering the difficulties of being a leader. Although he wants to help people escape and seems to have better intentions than Sal, he nevertheless realizes the types of challenges Sal faces in getting people to work together for a cause. This passage captures how it is part of human nature to lose control, making highly regulated societies like the beach difficult to maintain.
Themes
Richard sticks his fingers down Françoise’s throat to make her throw up. She gets angry and slaps Richard, saying she could have done that herself. He tells her to wash up down by the waterfall and avoid any more alcohol. He then goes to find Étienne, who admits that he is also drunk. Richard takes Étienne with him.
Themes
